Tobacco



TOBACCO Joseph N. 'Schumacher, Winston-Salem, N.C., assignor to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, N.C.,' a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Filed Apr. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 804,586 9 Claims. (21. 131-17 This invention relates to tobacco and has for an object the provision of a tobacco composition having an improved aroma and flavor.

It is well known in the tobacco art that the domestic tobaccos which are exemplified by burley, Maryland, flue-cured, bright leaf or Virginia tobaccos are low in flavor as compared with so-called oriental or aromatic tobaccos which are imported from Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Rhodesia and Russia. Accordingly, it has been common practice in the tobacco industry to prepare blends of domestic and oriental tobaccos in order to provide cigarettes which have desired flavor and aroma characteristics. Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to provide a domestic tobacco which has an enhanced flavor and aroma.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a tobacco which has been treated in such a manner as to impart a desired cedarlike odor which is pleasing to the smoker.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a domestic type tobacco having added thereto a chemical compound which imparts a pleasing cedarlike odor to the tobacco which becomes apparent particularly during smoking.

Further and additional objects will appear from the following description and the appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a domestic'tobacco is provided to which has been added a small amount of dodecahydro-3a, 6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan-2-ol. The chemical structure of the above referred to compound may be represented by the following formula:

CH: CH8

Ha CH2-CHOH The chemical compound I indicated above is known to the art and is chemically related to sclareol which is a terpene-like compound contained in the leaves of clary sage, Salvia scalarea. Thus Hinder et al., Helv. Chim. Acta. 33, 1251 (1950), and ibid. 36, 1984 (1953), have disclosed a procedure for preparing compound I from sclareol. The methods used by these investigators may be employed for preparing this compound although it will be apparent that other methods may be used. The melting point of compound I is 1l8-119 C.

In accordance with this invention, the designated compound I is usually added to a domestic tobacco in amounts to provide a tobacco in which is dispersed about 0.001 to about 1.0 percent by weight of the additive. Preferably the amount of additive is between about 0.05 and about 0.3 percent by weight in order to form a domestic tobacco having a desired flavor and aroma. The preferred percentages may be somewhat less, howit d Stair Pflwnt ice ever, if other .flavorants impartinga cedarlike aroma are also employed. The additive may be applied in any suitable manner and preferably in the form of a liquid solution or suspension by spraying, dipping or otherwise. The additive may be incorporated at any step in the treatment of the tobacco but is preferably added after aging, curing and shredding and before the tobacco is formed into cigarettes. Likewise it will be apparent that only a portion of the domestic tobacco need be treated and the thus treated tobacco may be blended with other tobaccos before the cigarettes are formed. In such cases the tobacco treated may have the additive in excess of the amounts above indicated so that when blended with other tobaccos the final product will have the percentage within the indicated range.

In accordance with one specific example of this invention, an aged, cured and shredded burley tobacco is sprayed with a one percent ethyl alcohol solution of the above indicated compound in an amount to provide a tobacco composition containing 0.15 percent by weight of the additive on a dry basis. Thereafter the alcohol is removed by evaporation and the tobacco is manufactur'ed into cigarettes by the usual techniques. It has been found that the cigarette when treated as indicated has a desired and pleasing cedarlike odor which is detectable to some extent when the cigarette is in its package but which is particularly detectable and pleasing in the main and side smoke streams when the cigarette is smoked.

It will be particularly apparent that the manner in which the additive is applied to the tobacco is not particularly important since, as indicated, it may be done in the form of spraying or dipping, utilizing suitable suspensions or solutions of the additive. Thus water or volatile organic solvents, such as alcohol, ether, acetone, volatile hydrocarbons and the like, may be used as the carrying medium for the additive while it is being applied to the tobacco. Also other flavor and aroma producing additives, such as those disclosed in Jones United States Patent No. 2,766,145, may be incorporated into the tobacco with the additives of this invention. In addition it will be apparent that mixtures of compound I with other cedarlike flavorants, such as those disclosed in copending applications Serial Nos. 708,986 and 708,- 987, both filed January 15, 1958, may be used in the tobacco if desired, the total concentration preferably being within the range of 0.01 and 1.0 percent (most preferably between 0.05 and 0.3 percent) based on the weight of the tobacco in the product to be smoked.

While this invention is particularly useful in the manufacture of cigarette tobacco, it is also suitable for use in connection with the manufacture of pipe tobacco, cigars and other tobacco products.

While a particular embodiment of this invention is shown above, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modifications may be made, and it is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A domestic tobacco having added thereto a small amount of dodecahydro 3a,6,6,9a tetramethylnaphtho- [2,l-b]furan-2-ol suflicient to impart a cedarlike odor to a smoker.

2. A domestic smoking tobacco having added thereto between about 0.001 and 1.0 percent by weight of dodecahydro-3a,6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho.[2,l-b]furan-Z-ol.

3. A process of improving tobacco which comprises adding thereto a small amount of dodecahydro-3a,6,6,9atetramethylnaphtho[2,1-b]furan-2-o1 sufficient to impart a cedarlike odor to a smoker.

4. A process of improving the flavor and aroma of smoking tobacco which comprises adding thereto between about 0.001 and 1.0 percent by weight of dodecahydro- 3a,6,6,9a-tetramethylnaphtho [2, l -b] furan-Z-ol.

5. The process recited in claim 4 wherein the stated percent is between about 0.05 and 0.3.

6. A process of improving tobacco which comprises adding thereto in the form of a liquid solution a small amount of dodecahydro 3a,6,6,9a tetramethylnaphtho [2,1-b]furan-2-ol suificient to impart a cedarlike odor to a smoker.

7. A process of improving tobacco which comprises adding thereto in the form of a liquid suspension a small amount of dodecahydro 3a,6,6,9a tetramethylnaphtho- [2,l-b]furan-2-o1 suflicient to impart a 'cedarlike odor to a smoker.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Scott May 17, 1910 Nagle Oct. 29, 1918 

1. A DOMESTIC TOBACCO HAVING ADDED THERETO A SMALL AMOUNT OF DODECAHYDRO-3A,6,6,9A-TETRAMETHYLNAPHTHO(2,1-B)FURAN-2-OL SUFFICIENT TO IMPART A CEDARLIKE ODOR TO A SMOKER. 